


The First Gift She Gave Him

by A_F_S_M_A_S



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I wrote this in under an hour, Pseudo-Modern AU, Valentine's Day, and it shows, don't think too hard about the logic of this alterred setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29450463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_F_S_M_A_S/pseuds/A_F_S_M_A_S
Summary: Valentine’s Day is upon them. Azula hopes she’s not going to mess this up.
Relationships: Aang/Azula (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	The First Gift She Gave Him

“Ready?” he asks with the kind of smile she’s come to expect from him. He’s always smiling, but the manner he does when he looks at Azula is for her and her alone. This fact elicits a certain pride in her, a satisfaction that only she can have this effect on him, but it’s not the pride she’s used to. It’s far softer, far gentler than the kind instilled into since birth. The feeling is a healthier, happier one than Azula ever thought she would have in her life.

That feeling almost makes her forget how nervous she is.

Almost. This was her first Valentine’s Day as part of a couple, and she spent the entirety of February fearing this moment.

This has to be perfect.

“You go first,” she tells him, holding hers behind her back.

“But a gentleman always lets a lady go first,” he teases, making her squirm.

“Well, I’m not a lady, I’m a princess,” she counters, a little stronger than intended. “And as princess, I’m telling you to go first.”

He smiles and obeys, holding out his gift to her. Azula quickly tucks her gift to him on a chair and slides it under the table, keeping it out of his sight, before taking his present. The box is smaller than she was anticipating. Knowing Aang, it was probably going to be something like a little turtle duck doll, or a trinket from his travels, or a…

In the Fire Nation, gold was the traditional color of the royal family, reserved only for the fire lord and his children. It showed in their portraits, in their fashion, and in the headpieces they wore in their topknots. The headpiece laying on the small, velvet cushioning of the box is an azure color, perfectly matching her own flames. The polished metal is smooth to the touch, and catches the light brilliantly. She can even see her awestruck reflection in it.

It’s perfect.

“Aang,” she manages to say, her voice breathless.

“Do you like it?”

“How… how much did this cost?”

Aang shrugs. “I’m a monk. Money is an unnecessary attachment to this world.”

“That is not an answer,” she tells him, a little snark in her voice.

His smile takes on a smirking edge. “I don’t need money. I’m courting a princess.”

She laughs. “So what am I? Your sugar momma?”

He grins, laughter filling his voice. “I’m just saying. If you ever want to make it rain, I’ll gladly dance for you.”

She giggles, covering her face. Half in embarrassment from the fact she’s dating this goofy loser, and half in embarrassment that he is the only person who could make her giggle like that.

She removes her golden headpiece and turns her back to him. Without needing to be told, he fixes the new one into her top knot. Looking at herself in the mirror makes Azula want to incorporate more blue into her wardrobe, just to match the color of the headpiece.

“Do you like it?”

“No, Aang. I’m admiring my own reflection because I hate it. Of course I love it, you dumbass.”

Aang bursts out laughing. When they had first gotten together, she had been so careful about the language she used to address him. When Aang made it clear that he enjoys a good ribbing from a beautiful, strong woman like her, Azula allowed herself to indulge in more colorful terms of affection.

“I’m glad you like it! I’m sure your gift is just as beautiful.”

Azula tenses up, realizing just how impersonal her gift is compared to his.

“Uh, on second thought,” she says, rushing to grab the gift she bought. “Let’s just ignore it and I’ll make it up to you later-”

His hand catches her at the wrist, so gentle she could easily pull herself free, but the act stops her dead in her tracks. She looks at him, and his expression disarms her.

“Let me see.”

Azula summons her courage and hands Aang the box. As he unwraps and opens it, Azula wishes she had gone with Ty Lee’s original suggestion: buy herself new lingerie and model it for him. 

The gift is a half-edible, half-floral presentation. Orange and yellow flowers decorate the vine ring like bows. Inside the ring is a collection of chocolates, candied dates, and other sweets.

“Azula-”

“The woman at the store said it was THE gift of the season. I don’t know how to shop for people. And it was the most expensive thing they had, and it combines so many traditional gifts, so I thought-”

She stops in her verbal avalanche when it dawns on her that he’s closed the small gap between them. Azula gulps and wills herself to look up to meet his eyes. His gaze is so lovingly soft that it breaks her. His fingers start at the side of her chin and slowly glide over her cheek until it rests in his palm.

“I love it,” he says, so gently that it pushes away everything else in the world. Her heart skips a beat, and she’s breathless yet again. Azula, despite all her intellect, cannot think of anything but him.

He kisses her, and she melts. Her arms move of their own accord, wrapping themselves around his neck and pulling the rest of her to his chest. He puts his gift aside on the table and presses into the kiss until they’re both lost in each other.

Before she can react, Aang’s hands move to her thighs. In an easy motion, he lifts her off of her feet, making her feel weightless. She breaks the kiss to look at him. There’s something… passionately wicked in his eyes. He raises his eyebrows twice in quick succession, an act he only does when there’s only one thing on his mind: her.

“We…” she stammers, completely caught off-guard. “Aang, our reservation is in an hour-”

He shrugs with ease despite the princess in his arms, reminding her of how much power the avatar holds in those toned arms of his. “Dinner can wait. I’ve got another gift to give you.”

Even her own flames weren’t as hot as the feeling in Azula’s cheeks.

They end up being severely late for their dinner reservation. Neither of them care.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy V-Day to all of you, and happy birthday to me!
> 
> Originally posted this on my tumblr!  
> https://azulaang-chakras.tumblr.com/post/643138251352424448/the-first-gift-she-gave-him
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> -A.F.S.M.A.S.


End file.
